


Come Back To Me

by shadowfaerieammy



Series: Timestamp [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-22
Updated: 2017-03-03
Packaged: 2018-07-16 13:13:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7269703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowfaerieammy/pseuds/shadowfaerieammy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Continuation of Timestamp 12:01am<br/>Chat Noir - Adrien- is gone. He's in America now, an ocean away from Marinette. How is she supposed to cope with the abrupt loss of her best friend and first love, two people suddenly smashed together in her mind? According to Hawkmoth, the only option is revenge. When that little purple butterfly possesses her, how can she resist.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a multi-chapter continuation to the one-shot Timestamp 12:01am, written due to a comment on the original story asking for an akumatized Marinette.

When Chat Noir disappears from Paris, Ladybug is the only one who connects the dots to Adrien’s sudden move to the United States. Marinette can’t believe how stupid everyone is, how stupid she is.

Chat Noir should have told her the truth that night on the Eiffel Tower. If she’d known she would never see him again, things might have been different. She didn’t want to learn his identity this way.

Marinette doesn’t understand how her lucky miraculous could let her best friend leave like that. Tears welling up in her eyes, she removes her earrings.

“Marinette!” Tikki shouts, shooting out of Marinette’s purse. “Don’t!”

She takes out the second earring and sets them on her desk, picking up the framed photograph of Adrien. “I’m sorry, Tikki. I can’t do this without him.”

The air around the room grows cold, a sharp breeze rolling in through the window. Marinette shivers, contemplating closing the window. She does not notice the purple butterfly floating in on the wind until it is too late. The butterfly melts into the photo before she can reach her earrings.

“Swallowtail, I am HawkMoth. You have been betrayed by your friend, left behind. I will help you get revenge on them, if you will help me.”

“Yes, Hawkmoth.”

\--------------------------------

Adrien hates New York. The air is muggy, the streets are crowded, and he doesn’t know anybody. He would rather be home with his lovely Lady any day.

“There are a few hours before your next shoot. Would you like to go to the hotel?”

Adrien forces a smile and nods. “Yes, thank you, Nathalie.” What he would like is to be home in Paris, but it doesn’t matter what he wants. It never has.  
When they get to the hotel, Adrien plops down on his bed, thankful for his own room. He doubts he could fake another smile, no matter how much he tries. He just misses his home so much.

He doesn’t mean the Agreste mansion when he says “home.” No, that place is simply a house, despite how fancy it may seem. It is the place where he sleeps, but it holds little else for him. Paris is his home, the Eiffel Tower, his Lady. Ladybug is his home.

The Ladyblog is bustling when Adrien logs on. He hasn’t checked the news -or his phone, even- in the few days since he arrived in New York. His schedule has been jam-packed, too full for him to breathe.

Several new videos have been added to the Ladyblog, dredging up concern. One new video could mean that Alya ran into Ladybug during patrol or something and got an impromptu interview, but four new videos could only mean one thing: akuma.

The oldest video is from the day after he left. The frame is shaky, an obvious sign that the video was a submission and not recorded by Alya herself. A woman is walking up to the Agreste mansion, the low quality of the video obscuring her. Her outfit might be black and red, and her hair might be shoulder length, but that is all that can be discerned before she tears the Agreste mansion gate off it’s hinges and tosses it aside like an empty pop can. The recorder shrieks and the film cuts out.

The next video is of worse quality and taken from a distance. The mysterious figure is atop a building, shredding a billboard with dagger-sharp nails. The billboard was put up as a monument to Ladybug and Chat Noir, a boisterously large image of the two hanging above the city they hold so dear. Chat Noir’s face in particular is torn into strips, much worse than Ladybug’s image flapping loosely in the wind.

The third video is the best quality, taken by a news team. The woman is atop the Eiffel tower, helicopters surrounding her, news teams around the base of the structure. She must have caused a lot of trouble to warrant that much attention, Adrien thinks as the video progresses. The woman’s outfit is much clearer but her face is obscured by her whipping hair. Her outfit is black with heavy red slashes. Thin wings stretch from her back, unmoved by the lashing wind around them.

“Hello, Paris!” she shouts over the whirring of the helicopter blades. “My name is Swallowtail!” She looks down, eyes focused somewhere offscreen. “Thank you for coming, Alya. I’m honored that the Ladyblog is covering this.” She looks back up at the hovering news camera, staring straight into the lens. “Chat Noir, this is for you. It’s not very polite to leave a lady on her own; I thought you were more of a gentleman than that.”

People start shouting questions at her, but she ignores them, instead continuing her monologue. “So! I am giving you a chance, Chat. Return to me and give me your miraculous.If you don’t come promptly, I’ll go after your friends.” As a clue, she says, “ macarons sound pretty good right now, and who knows, maybe I’ll stay at a hotel tonight.”

Swallowtail bounds off, not bothering to answer any questions. A reporter comes on-screen to talk but Adrien clicks the video off. It was posted to the Ladyblog two hours ago.

The final video is the most startling, and the most informative. It is posted directly from Alya’s phone, according to the credits listed beneath the video. The timestamp says it was posted just an hour ago.

Alya is running down the streets of Paris, Swallowtail in her sights. She obviously has no idea that she is in true danger. Alya shouts out, desperate for answers. “What did Chat Noir do to you?”

Swallowtail looks straight into the camera of Alya’s phone, sadness swimming in those angry ocean eyes, drowning. “He left.”


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien returns to Paris and sets out to find Swallowtail.

Adrien begs and pleads for his father to bring him home to Paris. Gabriel won’t let his son go back, especially with the break-in at the Agreste mansion. It’s not safe, he insists.

Obviously Adrien doesn’t leave it at that. His friends are in danger; he won’t give up without a fight.

So he fights.

Nathalie makes it easy for Adrien to get his hands on her tablet. She “forgets” it in his hotel room when she delivers his afternoon schedule and doesn’t return for it till an hour later. The passcode lock is disabled and his father’s schedule is conveniently opened up.

Nathalie is scheduled to fly back to France tonight to assess the damage at the mansion.

There is an extra ticket ready to be printed in case his father decides to accompany her, even though she knows he has an important business meeting at the same time as her flight.

Adrien’s afternoon schedule is conveniently empty, except for an early afternoon magazine interview.

He arrives in France in the early morning, the sun barely raised into the sky. The town of Paris shows little sign of the akuma wreaking havoc, a few shredded billboards and some cars crushed when the Agreste mansion gate was ripped from it’s hinges. Swallowtail, despite being active for days, has caused the least damage of any akuma. Ladybug is still in there, he insists; Ladybug would never hurt her city.

Chat roams the city in costume, hoping to attract enough attention to earn an appearance. Tourists and natives alike wander out into the streets of Paris, cameras in hand waiting for a fight. Even Alya shows up, a bleary-eyed Nino in tow. They expect a show, and, if this really is his Lady, they are going to get one.

Swallowtail arrives swiftly, though Adrien muses that there must not be much for her to do while waiting for Chat Noir since he is her only objective. Despite the change in costume, she is as beautiful as ever. Her fanfiction blue eyes shine in stark contrast to the black and red of her mask as she smiles.

“How nice of you to join us,” she says, voice loud and unwavering as she approaches her target. “I was beginning to think you were a scaredy cat. Five days is a long time to make a woman wait.”

Chat bows, ever the gentleman. “My apologies.”

Razor-sharp talons shoot out from her gloves, narrowly missing the agile cat. Using his baton, he launches himself onto a nearby building, luring Swallowtail away from the gaggle of civilians on the ground.

“All I want is your miraculous, chaton.” Dark wings flutter behind her, carrying her easily from building to building. “We both know you’re hopeless without your precious Ladybug.”

The truth in her statement sends a chill through Adrien; he can’t purify the akuma without her help. Hopefully he can stall long enough to locate the akumatized object. Then he can ask Plagg what to do.

With lack of a better plan, Chat dances around his adversary, surveying her closely. Her outfit displays black, red, and white in varying patterns so it is difficult to find any flaws in the design that were allude to an akumatized item.

A pair of yo-yos assault the wall on either side of his head. Swallowtail, a sadistic grin on her face, saunters over. Chat stands there, perfectly still, inspecting every inch of her to only find nothing.

“It’s rude to stare, Chat Noir,” she says as she draws closer. He does not move despite the intense urge to run. She leans in close, her body nearly pressed against his. Surprisingly tender, she reaches out and traces his cheek with a sharp talon. The delicate touch makes him shiver.

“I want to hurt you,” she whispers, her breath ghosting against his lips.

“And I want to love you,” he replies, letting his eyes fall closed, surrounding himself in darkness. Vulnerable. “I see no difference.”

A purple haze falls over Swallowtail, causing her figure to crumple in agonizing pain. Chat’s eyes fly open at the pitiable noise. Swallowtail shrieks, batting away the violet mask over her eyes. She only succeeds in scratching herself with sharp talons.

“Stop!” she screams, hand over her chest, drawing attention to the barely visible pocket and the item peaking over the edge.

Chat reaches out, removes the item before Swallowtail can resist. It’s purple, the site of the akuma. It’s also a photograph of Adrien.

Chat takes a step back, photo clutched to his chest. He already knew it was his fault, of course Ladybug would be upset with him for leaving, but this punched him in the heart.

The worst part? He couldn’t fix this without her. Of course she was here, physically, but Swallowtail is a far cry from Ladybug. His only hope is to escape and ask Plagg if there is anything he could possibly do. He runs before Ladybug has regained control, and by the time she lifts herself off the floor he is gone.

 

_________________________________

In the relative safety of the Agreste mansion, Plagg flies out of the ring with urgency, furious. “You idiot! You were so close!”

Adrien puts his hands up in front of him defensively, afraid the little cat will pounce. “I need more detail than that, Plagg.”

“You should have kissed her,” the cat groans. “True love's kiss is stronger than any magic!”

A nervous laugh bubbles up in Adrien’s throat. “That’s ridiculous.”

Sighing, Plagg flies up onto Adrien’s head. “Fine. If you don’t believe me, then our only option is to find her miraculous, if she doesn’t have it.”

“We don’t know her identity, though.”

Once again, Plagg groans. “Do I have to do all the work? Ask the Ladyblog girl. She might know.”  
Adrien could almost kiss his miniature cat god. “When this is over, I’m giving you as much camembert as I can get my hands on.”

“Good,” Plagg huffs.

“Plagg, transform me!”

“And here we go again.”

Finding Alya isn’t nearly as difficult as Adrien thought it would be. All he has to do is send Alya a message through the Ladyblog forum. She is skeptical at first but agrees to meeting him at the park.

“I’m sorry to call you out here like this, but I need information,” Chat opens the conversation with, not wasting any time. “Do you have any idea what the akuma’s identity is?”

Alya slumps down on the bench, hands loosely gripping her cellphone, fiddling with the ladybug strap. “I knew it was her when her parents called me asking if I’ve seen her. She hasn’t been home in days, but I guess being an akuma is better than the alternatives.” She sucks in a deep breath, leaning her head back to look up at the setting sky. “It’s Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

The pieces all fall into place and he wonders how he hadn’t realized it. Chat should feel surprised, but all he feels is concern. How could sweet, considerate Marinette become an akuma? And how could he dare do this to her?

“She’s Ladybug, isn’t she?” When Chat nods, Alya drops her head in her hands and chuckles dryly, humorlessly. “All this time I’ve been chasing my best friend.” She looks back up to address Chat, cheeks tear-streaked. “Don’t worry, I haven’t posted her identity on the Ladyblog and her parents are keeping quiet. Nobody knows that Marinette is Ladybug.”

“That’s good,” he mumbles half-heartedly. Nothing is good.

“So, what’s the plan?”

Chat’s head whips up. He hadn’t even realized that he dropped his gaze to his ring.

“You do have a plan, right?” she asks, rubbing her face dry. “Without Ladybug it won’t be so easy to cleanse the akuma.”

The kitty nods, head heavy with ideas. “Can you get me into Marinette’s bedroom? Hopefully she wasn’t wearing her earrings when she was…”

Alya looks at him skeptically with a dipped brow. “She never took those off. Ever. I bought her earrings once and she used them as charms for matching bracelets so I wouldn’t feel bad about her not wearing them. Though I guess it makes a lot more sense now.”

Chat shrugs, attempting to maintain external composure while internally frying. He didn’t remember earrings on Swallowtail. “All we need is some luck.”

“You’re a black cat. You’re the epitome of bad luck.”

His smile breaks her heart. “It’s not my luck that we need.”


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plagg told him what to do but of course he wouldn't listen.

It is easy for Alya to discreetly get Chat Noir into Marinette’s room. He didn’t even need her help to get in -Marinette left the balcony hatch unlocked at all times so she could easily drop in as Ladybug- but Alya knows Marinette much better than Adrien does. Alya knows where Marinette keeps things, what her hiding places are.

The first thing Adrien notices are the photos and posters plastered across the walls of the room. Familiar green eyes stare down at him, smiles empty, and he blushes.

“One of the pictures is missing,” Alya says, examining Marinette’s desk. A small picture frame is shattered on the floor and the slivers of glass crunch under Chat’s boots.

Chat removes the akumatized photo of himself from his pocket and shows it to Alya. “Is this it?”

Alya frowns. “Yeah, it is.” Her gaze passes Chat, instead landing on Marinette’s dresser, on the small red earrings sitting atop it. She picks them up gently, cradling them in her hands. “They’re here,” she says in awe. “I can’t believe she took them off.”

A shiver passes through Chat Noir, leaving him cold. It was likely that either she took them off because she knew she was about to be akumatized or she was akumatized because she took them off. Either way, he’s lucky that she left the small round jewels somewhere he could easily find them.

“What now?” Alya asks.

Adrien thinks about it and realizes that Plagg didn’t tell him what to do, only that he had to find the earrings. Before he can explain that he has no idea what to do next, a crash on the balcony sends him into action. He ushers Alya to the floor and tells her to hide under the bed with the earrings; he will come back for her later. No sooner than he finishes his instructions does Swallowtail drop down into the bedroom.

“It’s not very gentlemanly to break into a girl’s room, chaton,” she quips. “It seems you haven’t been much of a gentleman recently. Such a shame; I used to find you quite charming.” Her claws extend, barely piercing the chest of Chat’s suit. If she extends them just an inch farther he’ll be seriously injured, a little further than that and he’ll be dead. Swallowtails teasing smile contorts into a grimace. “Now you’re just a mangy stray that needs to be put down.”

The talons extend a centimeter and Chat winces in pain; she’s broken through the leather of his suit and into the flesh of his chest.

“I didn’t want to leave you,” he says, stalling for time. He needs to come up with a plan. As he speaks, he inspects his surroundings for anything to help. “I would never leave you willingly, my Lady, Marinette.” He notices a mannequin behind the disillusioned villain. It has no garments on it but a roll of thick yellow ribbon sits on the desk beside it. He returns his gaze to her, holds eye contact. “I love you, Ladybug,” he says softly, gently reaching out to rest his hand on hers.

The talons retract. Chat watches as Swallowtails demeanor softens, her posture relaxing and her grimace fading to sincere awe. “Chat…”

Then the purple mask appear over her face again and she screams in pain. Chat takes the opportunity and pounces at Swallowtail. He pushes her backwards flush against the mannequin. While she is still under Hawkmoth’s control he uses the yellow ribbon to tie her to the mannequin, tight, so tight that she can’t move.

When Swallowtail regains control, she shouts out of fury as opposed to the crippling pain from moments before. “You traitor!” she spits. “You said you love me!”

Chat winces as if she’s clawed him in the chest again. “I do love you,” he tells her, picking up the mannequin with her attached. “That’s why I have to do this. I’d do anything to get you back.”

“Me too.”

He stiffens, body halfway through the trapdoor to the balcony.

“I’d do anything to get you back, even become an akuma.” Chat hoisted the both of them onto the balcony and grabbed her as tight as he could around the waist with the mannequin still on her back. She tilted her head, bumping it into his, but not maliciously. It almost feels loving, if you forget that she’s possessed by an akuma and trying to kill him. “It’s crazy what people do for love.”

Chat bounds the few blocks to the Agreste mansion. Once there, he sets Swallowtail down in his room and secures her more tightly to the mannequin with some rock climbing ropes.

“Claws in, Plagg.” In a burst of light, Chat Noir fades into Adrien Agreste and Plagg flies out of the ring. Holding the miniature god in his hands, Adrien asks, “what do I do now?”

“Geez, can’t a cat get a minute of rest around here? And some cheese! I’m starving!”

Adrien pulls a container of several cheese wedges from his bag and hands one wedge to Plagg.

“Stingy,” the cat mutters around his food.

“You’ll get more if you help me, Plagg.”

Plagg swallows the piece of cheese and floats down onto Adrien’s desk. “I already told you, kid. Just kiss her, then she’ll be good as new.”

Adrien lets out a frustrated sigh. He’s done with Plagg’s ridicule. “Fine, if you don’t want to help me I’ll find a way myself.”

“It’s not my fault you don’t believe me. You aren’t even willing to try it. Didn’t you say you were willing to do anything to get Ladybug back?”

“Of course!”

“Than actually listen to me for once and kiss her!”

“Fine!”Adrien stomps over to Swallowtail and clamps his hands down on her shoulders. He presses his lips to hers, waits a few seconds, then pulls away. When nothing happens, he turns to Plagg with a scowl. “See? It didn’t work! I don’t appreciate you playing with my ‘silly human emotions’ while I’m trying to get my best friend back!”

“That wasn’t true love’s kiss.”

Adrien nearly yells again at Plagg until he realizes the voice came from behind him. He turns to face Swallowtail, face scrunched in frustration. “What are you talking about? I love Ladybug with all of my heart!”

“There was no love in that kiss, only spite. You kissed me to spite the cat, not because you hoped that maybe, just maybe, it would bring your precious Ladybug back. A kiss of spite holds no love.”

She’s right, of course, and Adrien is ashamed. They’re both right; he isn’t even trying. But it seems so ridiculous! True love’s kiss? It’s a silly plot convenience device used in fairy tales. It’s not real!

But he would have said that about tiny cat gods that bestow magic powers upon 14 year olds if he hadn’t met one.

“I’m sorry.” He takes a deep breath and leans in again. Once again, Swallowtail does not struggle. Adrien wonders if she wants the akumatization to be over as much as he does. He closes his eyes and hovers an inch away, thinking about the day they met, when he decided he loves her no matter who she is behind the mask. 

“Just do it already, chaton,” she whispers, her breath on his lips.

The kiss is bitter and stale, like the scent of used coffee grounds left out too long. He wonders if she drank coffee, if akumas even need to eat or drink or sleep like everyone else. He doesn’t know if Marinette likes coffee, and suddenly it is the most important thing in the world for him to know because this is the girl he loves and he wants to know everything about her. And he is so incredibly glad that she is Marinette, that she is her, because he knows her. He knows that she loves to draw and is a talented aspiring fashion designer. He knows that she is clumsy and bad at physics and amazing at video games. He thinks about the lucky charm she gave him before the gaming tournament and loves her all the more for that.

He breaks the kiss when his lips begin to tingle, and when he opens his eyes there stands a very dazed Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

“Adrien?” she asks, mind hazy. She tries to move but is restricted by the ribbon. She looks down at the ribbon and as far over her shoulder as she can at the mannequin. “Why am I tied to one of my mannequins?”

Adrien bursts into tears.


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This MIGHT be the last chapter of this story. I never intended for it to be too long so at most I'll add a chapter or two. However, I'm not sure if this is a very satisfying ending so please let me know if you think there should be more and what you would like to see, or if you like how this ended, or if you just want an epilogue chapter. The whole reason I started this sequel to Timestamp 12:21 was because of reader feedback and requests, so please let me know what else, if anything, you want from this story!

“I told you,” Plagg says as Adrien unties Marinette with wobbly hands. Once she is free, he guides her to the couch and sits her down.

Marinette touches her waist gingerly; there is some slight pain.

“I’m sorry.” Adrien touches her waist and she jumps nearly off the couch, face burning red. Adrien feels awful; poor Marinette must be terrified.”You were possessed by an akuma. I had to tie you up so you wouldn’t attack me. Alya was there and I couldn’t risk her getting hurt so I brought you here.”

Marinette’s eyes widen, surprise and shame clear in her features. “Is she okay? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he assures her. “And Alya is….” he groans, remembering the situation in which he left Alya. “Hopefully exactly where I left her because she has your earrings, Marinette.”

Alarmed, Marinette tries to scoot back on the couch; she has already smashed herself into the back cushion as far as possible. “M-my earrings? What do they have t-to do with anything?”

Adrien sits down next to her and takes her hand in his. She doesn’t resist. “You were an akuma for five days. Alya and your parents found out pretty quick that you’re Ladybug when you disappeared and Ladybug didn’t come to the rescue.”

Marinette groans and pulls her hand away from Adrien to cradle her head. “Does anyone else know?”

“No.”

“And you’re really Chat?”

“Yes.”

“Can I get my cheese now?”

Adrien sighs but acts on the cats wishes, throwing him the whole container of cheese from his bag. He deserves it.

Marinette stares.

“This is Plagg,” Adrien says. He assumes she has her own kwami and doesn’t need a full explanation.

“It’s a little cat.” Marinette doesn’t know why she’s so surprised; as a ladybug themed superhero she has a ladybug kwami so why wouldn’t Chat have a cat? Though Plagg looks much more like a cat that Tikki does a ladybug. “He’s cute.”

Plagg makes a gagging noise at the comment and Adrien takes away his cheese. “Be nice or I won’t give it back.” Plagg groans but says nothing more so Adrien returns the cheese.

“Anyway, I should go back to Alya and make sure she’s safe.” Adrien pulls the photo from his pocket and shoes it to Marinette. “We still need you to purify this.”

Marinette blushes at the sight of the photo and the implication of it. It seems so silly, now, that she removed her earrings and got akumatized so unnecessarily. She should have known that Hawkmoth would still be around even after Chat Noir left, and she shouldn’t have been so reckless. “I’m sorry.”

Pale hands cup her face, silver ring gleaming. “Hey, look at me.” Marinette complies, meeting green eyes with blue. He smiles. “I’m so glad you’re back, my Lady.”

The phrase strikes a thought in Marinette. Adrien was in America; that started this debacle. What is he doing here?

“Did you come back just for this?”

Adrien blushes and scratches the back of his neck. The red clashes with his eyes. “I can’t seem to stay away, my Lady.”

She unconsciously rolls her eyes. This is her kitty, her partner, and she wouldn’t trade him for the world. But she knows their time is limited, and he will have to go back to America before his father notices, if he hasn’t noticed already. She puts her hands over his. “Let’s get this over with.”

Alya is not where Adrien left her, and he’s ashamed of himself for thinking she would listen and stay put. The reporter in her could never stay put when there’s a story on the loose.

“I’ll call her.”

Alya answered after a few rings. “Marinette! Is it you?”

Marinette laughed. “Yeah, it’s me. Anyway, where are you? Chat said he left you in my room but you’re not here.”

Some rustling noises and uncomfortable grumbles tip Marinette off that something is wrong. “What did you do?” Alya’s grumbles are too low and jumbled to hear, so Marinette repeats her question again, phone pressed close to her ear. “Alya, what did you do?”

“I only wanted to try them on!” she starts off, and from her frantic voice Marinette can imagine she is waving her arms. “I didn’t expect a magical girl transformation!”

The heroes freeze. She couldn’t have possibly done something so stupid….right?

“You didn’t.”

Silence.

Marinette sighs. She has never been more disappointed in her best friend. “You did. Just get back here and we’ll deal with it.”

It only takes a few minutes for Alya to bound her way back to Marinette’s bedroom. She drops through the roof hatch much like Marinette does after a long night of patrolling or particularly gruesome fight: lazily with sloppy coordination that lands her on the floor instead of the bed.

“Sheesh Marinette how do you do that all the time without dying?”

Alya knows she’s in serious trouble when Marinette greets her with a glare instead of an actual greeting. She bows her head and mumbles an apology.

The first thing Chat notices is that Ala’s Ladybug costume is different. Instead of a full-body polka-dotted suit, the hands and feet of the suit are black and streak up into the red of her forearms and calves. The next difference is the black belt on her waist, from the back of which flows two thin, gauzy wings. The biggest difference is the ink black mask on her face, a stark contrast to her auburn hair.

“I like the outfit,” Chat says, hoping maybe Marinette will calm down.

The comment only makes her seethe. How could Adrien say that in a situation like this? Sure, it was a well designed outfit that complimented Alya’s figure while seeming no less practical than her own suit, but she shouldn’t have a suit in the first place.

“Say ‘spots off.’”

Alya wants to keep the transformation awhile longer -she’s Ladybug, her idol!- but she knows she’s already overstepped her bounds. “Spots off.” In a flash of light the transformation faded and Alya reappeared clad in her characteristic plaid and jeans. She takes out the earrings and hands them out to Marinette. “I’m sorry Marinette. I just wanted to know what it’d be like to be Ladybug. She’s my idol! How could I give up that chance?”

She couldn’t give up that chance, Marinette understands, but she is still hurt. Alya could have put herself and everyone else in danger. What if Hawkmoth found out there was a new Ladybug? What if he could send out a second akuma? Alya has no clue what she’s doing- she may have seen every fight Marinette has gone through as Ladybug, either in person or on film, but that is galaxies away from having fighting experience. Marinette muses that Alya would have a lot more knowledge going into it that Marinette did thanks to her extensive research, but once again, research is not experience. And if Marinette is being honest, she doesn’t want to lose her place as Ladybug. Maybe one day, after they defeat Hawkmoth for good, she will have to forfeit the spotted suit, but until then she is proud to be the one and only Ladybug.

Marinette puts the earring in, speaks the magic words, reappears in a spotted suit after a fluorescent pink glow.

Chat Noir gives her the possessed photograph. She tears it open, straight down Adrien’s beautiful face. As she says more magic words she wonders if she will remember any of this; akuma victims never do. A white flash fixes the Agreste mansion gate and returns Marinette’s yellow ribbon to her desk. She stands there in the center of her room, Chat Noir standing on one side and Alya on the other. Her features are alert, but they also betray her underlying fear.

“What happened?”

Both Chat Noir and Alya stay silent. Neither wants the burden of explaining.

The earrings beep. Marinette reaches up, touches them gently, as if they don't belong there. She knows she is missing something, but she isn't sure she wants to know what. She asks them to leave. They put up a fight but eventually go when Tom and Sabine come up the stairs. Marinette doesn't hide or drop the transformation; she isn't ready to give it up yet. It feels so long since she last wore the suit, but why? Didn't she and Chat fight an akuma just two days before?

She hears her parents crying before she feels their tears on her shoulders. She doesn't know why they are crying, or why they are hugging her as Ladybug, or why they are calling her Marinette. She doesn't ask, she doesn't ask, she doesn't ask.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was requested that I add an extra chapter and I agree that the storied felt unfinished so here you go! One last chapter to wrap things up. I hope you enjoy!

Once the threat of Swallowtail has gone, Gabriel Agreste decides it may be best to return to France, especially seeing as his son has already taken the liberty to return home. Adrien is scolded, but not as fiercely as he expected, and he definitely doesn't expect his father explaining that they will remain in Paris. Adrien doesn't understand why his father experienced a change of heart but he is thankful to return to school and his friends. 

When Marinette doesn’t come to school the next day, Alya and Adrien are concerned. They left Marinette without giving an explanation, but of course her parents explained? With Swallowtail all over the media there’s no way they could keep it a secret from her. Alya realizes the media will have questions for Ladybug and Chat Noir regarding the incident so throughout the school day she scripts an interview between the three of them that will cover everything up cleanly. Now that she knows Ladybug’s true identity is Marinette, she needs to be a lot more careful with the Ladyblog. It would be far too suspicious if she suddenly gave it up, so she vows to use the Ladyblog to protect Ladybug’s identity and, if she ever learns it, Chat Noir’s.

While Alya makes these plans, Adrien makes his own. If Marinette’s parents told her anything, then she must know that Chat Noir and Alya know her identity. But also, even if they did explain what they could, there would be gaps in the story that only Adrien could fill. He tells Alya through a stealthily delivered note that he’ll visit Marinette during lunch and explain what he can.

Or at least that was the plan, until Chloe grabbed him and dragged him to her limo. She shoved him in the backseat and told the driver to go before he even had the chance to deny her lunch invitation.

Alya makes it to the bakery during lunch instead.

Tom and Sabine greet her with substantially less enthusiasm than usual. They plaster on smiles that don’t reach their eyes. Alya is sent upstairs with a tray holding two bowls of soup, a small plate of cookies, and a full baguette.

“Marinette, it’s Alya. Can you let me in? I have food.”

Marinette lifts open the hatch with quivering hands. Instead of passing the food to her, Alya rests it on the floor inside the room before hoisting herself up. They eat at Marinette’s desk. Alya tries not to stare at the image frozen on the computer screen, the akuma smiling sadly back at her.

“It’s okay,” Marinette whispers, her food barely touched. Alya is about to ask what’s okay when she finds out that the words are not for her. A small red blob, no bigger than the woman’s fist, appears from seemingly nowhere and sits next to the cookies of plates, taking one from the stack. The creature does not speak.

“This is Tikki. She gives Ladybug her powers.”

Alya already knows this from her quick dalliance as Ladybug, not that Marinette knows that. She knows she should tell her but maybe it’s something Marinette is better off not remembering. Alya holds out a hand to Tikki with a smile hoping she will play along. “It’s nice to meet you, Tikki. I’m Alya.”

Tikki’s tiny hand can only grasp a single finger but she shakes it nonetheless. “It’s nice to officially meet you, Alya.” She drops the finger to continue eating her cookie. Their eyes do not meet.

“My parents told me what they could but there are a lot of blanks.” Marinette grabs a chunk of baguette and begins tearing it into little pieces. Blue eyes meet Alya’s but they are not bright, or shining, or clear. The poor girl is, like any other akuma victim, lost and confused. “I’m not sure I want to know any more than this.”

Alya scoots her chair closer to Marinette and wraps an arm around her best friend's shoulder. “Don’t worry. Chat Noir and I are the only ones who know anything more and if you don’t want us to say anything, we won’t.”

The faint sound of the hatch opening is the only warning they get before hearing the words “Cat’s honor.” Adrien climbs up and closes the hatch quietly behind him. He walks over to Marinette and kneels by her side. “Hey Princess.”

Marinette bursts into tears.

Adrien comforts her with the tale of how he miraculously escaped Chloe’s clutches to get to her. It makes her laugh and both Adrien and Alya are relieved.

By the time Marinette settles down, lunch is nearly over. Alya gives her the paper explaining the cover-up plan and leaves first.

“Can I ask one question?” Marinette asks tentatively, turned away from Adrien so he can’t see the tightness in her features. It’s the only way she can stop herself from crying again.

“Of course, Princess.”

“How did you get me deakumatized?”

Adrien blushes and scratches the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. He tries to diffuse the situation by making it seem silly. “I always thought our first kiss would be more romantic, Buginette. 

Marinette makes a strangled sound, halfway between a snort and a sob. “Oh chaton, that wasn’t our first kiss.”

Now Adrien is the one to make a strangled sound, choking on spit and surprise. “What?”

She turns to face him, the tear tracks on her face accompanied by a smile. “On Valentine’s Day, Dark Cupid put you under his spell. We’d been talking about true love’s kiss in class so I thought I’d give it a shot.”

The boy stares for a moment, lost in a Marinette-induced stupor, before releasing a loud bark of laughter. “Two kisses and we don’t both remember them. How tragic! One of these days we’ll hopefully have a kiss to remember!” Adrien realizes the meaning of his words after they spill out. His face is as pale as hers is red. “That is, only if you want, Marinette.”

Marinette wraps her arms around his shoulder, a soft smile gracing her lips. “Not now, Adrien. But soon.”


End file.
